Internal-combustion engine



May 29, 1 928. 1,671,926

J. F. COVERSTONE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 22, 1925 Patented May 29, 1928. V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JESSE FLQID COVERS TONE, OF WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO WAUKESHA MOTOR COMPdNY, OF WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN, A CORPORA- T1011 01'? WISCONSIN.

INTEBNAL-COHBUBTION ENGINE.

Application filed December 22, ms.- Serial No. 682,138.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and may be characterized as an improvement upon the internal combustion engine illustrated and described in Ricardo United States Letters Patent No. 1,474,003, issued November 13, 1923.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a'sectional view of the pertinent portion of an internal combustion engine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a View taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, the openings and valves below "being indicated in dotted lines; and

Fi 3 is a-view, similar to Fig. 1 and showlng a slight modification.

In these drawings, the head 10, which has the water spaces 12, 12, is secured upon the cylinder block 14 in which cylinder 16 and inlet and outlet passageways 11 and 11 are provided.'.The piston 20 is disposed in the cylinder 16. The head 10 forms a combustion chamber 22 which overlies the ends of the passageways 11 and 11, whichrepresents all of the effective combustion space when the piston is in its uppermost position, and which communicates restrictedly with the end of the cylinder 16. The cross sectional area of this communication is less than that ofthe c linder bore, the end of the cylinder except or this communication being closed by the under surface of the head being brought down as shown. Over the center of the piston, however, ac-

. cording to my invention, this surface is not brought down as far as it is in the surrounding area, as clear] shown 1n the drawings.

In other words, t e clearance is somewhat I combustion space when the plston is in the increased over the center of the piston, form ing a shallow recess 24. The passagewayql is the inlet for combustible gas and the passage 11 is the outlet for burned gas, each passageway being controlled by a valve as shown. bustion chamber 22 in a'substantially central position.

It is to be noted that Figure 1 is not a single plane section; for convenience and simplicity the head has'been-sectioned on the axes of the spark plu and of the, c linder, and the block has een sectione' on A spark plug 18 enters the-com tihe axes of one of the valves and the cyliner. I

I have determined by experiment that by the use of my invention the characteristic anddesirable' mode of operation and resultof the Ricardo head ofthe Letters Patent referred to may be preserved and a higher compression made possible. In fixing the compression ratio, the combined capacity of spaces 22 and 24 is taken into ac-' count, and ifthe space at 24 is enlarged, by making it less shallow or larger in area, or

both, it must, of course, be correspondingly reduced at 22 to produce the same compression ratio. My invention also, as trial has proven, produces a marked improvement in smoothness of operation, particularly manifest at wide openthrottle and during acceleration; j v I,

In Figure 3 I have, illustrated how the recess-24 may be formed, with substantially thesame 'efl'ect. In this form the recess'24, in transverse cross-section, tapers gradually to the plane surface which is in immediate proximity to the top of the piston, when the latter is in its uppermost position, instead ,7

of having a flat ceiling in a plane parallel to such surface and joining it with an abrupt curve and a sharply defined edge as in the form shown in Figure 1. Experiment has shown that the results in the two cases are substantially the same. i.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder, a combustion chamber adjoining and communicating restrictedly with the end of said cylinder, the end of said cylinder being otherwise permanently closed, said combustion chamber representing all of the effective tion of the cylinder end being increased over.

the central portion of the piston, combustible gas inlet and burned gas outlet passages for said combustion chamber, saidcombus;

*tion chamber being otherwise closed, valves for said passages, and spark ignition means for said combustion chamber.

said cylinder, a combustion chamber ad 'ing and communicatin restrictedly with the 2. In an L-head' internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocating in o1nend of'sa-id cylinder, t e end of said cylinder being otherwise permanently closed, said combustion chamber representing all of the central portion of the piston, combustible gas inlet and burned gas outlet passages for 1 icross-sectiona said combustion chamber, said combustion chamber-bein otherwise closed, said combustion cham r lying. over said passages and ,over aportion only of said cylinder,

valves for said passages, and spark ignition means for' said combustion chamber.

it. In an internal combustion engine, a cy inder, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder, a head forming a combustion chamber adjoining and communicating restrictedly with the end of said cylinder, said head otherwise permanently closing the end of said cylinder and provided with a recess over the central portion of the piston opening into said combustion chamber, said combustion chamber representing all of the effective combustion space when the piston is in the position of eatest compression, and the area of the communication between said combustionchamber and said cylinder being less than that of the cylinder bore, combustible gas inlet and burned gas outlet passages for said combustion chamber,

said combustion chamber being otherwise closed,.valves for said passages, and spark ignition means for said combustion chamber. 4, In an internal combustion engine, a

cylinder, a piston reciprocating in said. cylinder, ahead for. said cylinder providing a combustion chamber overlying a portion only thereof and communicating therewith over an area including the center thereof,

"the remainder of the area of the piston when in the position of greatest compression being in close proximity to said head, combustible gas inlet and burned gas outlet passages for said combustion chamber, valves for said passages, and ignition means for said combustion chamberw '5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder, ahead for said cylinder providing a combustion chamber overlying a portion only thereof and by means of a narrowed extension communicating therewith ,over an area including the center thereof, the remainder of the area of the piston when in the position of greatest compression being in' lose proximity to said head at the sides and end of said extension, combustible gas inlet and burned gas outlet passages forsaid combustion chamber, valves for said passages, and ignition means for said combustion chamber.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a

block having a planar top and a cylinder and combustible gas inlet and burned gas outlet passages formed, therein and terminating in triangular relation in said planar top, a piston reciprocating in said cylinder and coming substantially flush with said planar top at the upper end of its stroke, a head having a planar bottom resting upon said block, said head being recessed in the bottom to form a combustion chamber over said gas inlet and'outlet passages and extended overa portion of the area, including the central 1 portion, of said cylinder, the planar bottom of said head lyin directly over the remaining area of saicf whereby it is approached by said piston to within a distance substantially measured by the thickness of a gasket between said head and said block, valves for said passages and r ignition means for said combustion chamber.

In witness wh'ereofiI hereunto "subscribe my name this 17th day of December, 1923.

cylinder Jessi; FILOID COVERSTONE; 

